Spring suspension for vehicles.



R. H. HAS'Q'LERQ SPRING SUSPENSION FOB. VEHICLES.

-APPLICATION FILED AELLZS, 1913.

1,1 30,897. Fatented Mar. 9, 1915 2 SHEETSSHEET\1.

Iii/9'1. 2M.

WITNESSES.- lNV El TOR. M53 v flWM/j/b ATTORNE R. H. HASSLER.

SfRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2G,1913.

1,1 30,897. Patented Mar. 9,191.5.

SSHEBTS-SHEET 2 LVVENTOR.

IVITNESSES:

*- twee smwimomcE- T ROBERT H. HA SSLER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES.

manner.

Application filed April 26, 1913. Serial No. 7653;763.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, Bonner H. HASSLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Suspension for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device or form of spring suspension intended to give easy riding qualities to a vehicle. It accomplishes this object by performing in general, two separate functions. The one function consists in affording an extremely soft or sensitive spring supporting means between the axle and the vehicle body. The other function consists in preventing the rebound or tossing action from affecting the body of the vehicle. The one mechanism per forms these two separate functions automatically in rapid succession as the road conditions necessitate.

The device is illust-ated in the accom-' panying drawings, in which-- 1 Figure 1 is a partial front view of a vehicle showing a vehicle wheel, the spring suspension in elevation, and part of front axle and vehicle frame. Figs. 2, 3 and 5 are also partial front views of the same parts without the wheel, and; intended 'to show the various actions of the device by illustrating the mechanisms in correspondingpositions. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device as viewed from the dotted line AA of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is an elevation showing a modified form of the device.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, l and 5, like letters of reference refer to like parts.

Referring to these figures, 11 is the vehicle axle, 12 one of the vehicle wheels, 13 the frame or body portion of the vehicle, 14 a. leaf or laminated plate spring supporting the frame on the axle. In the particular application shown in these figures the spring 14 is a cross spring, extending transversely of the vehicle axle, and has its center portion rigidly fastened tothe frame by the clips 1:), 15. The two outer ends of this spring are each fastened to onc of my dc.- vices,*'one of which, that 15, one for one side of the vehicle, is shown in the figures. The outer end of the spring 14 is. formed in in eye which is pivoted to the lower end of swinging shackles or links 16, 16. l The upper ends of these Shackles ar pivoted to the extension 17 of the lever 18. This'lever Specification of Letters Patent.

form at certain positions of the device,

Patented Mai-.9,

is pivoted at 19 to a support ZO'whicli is r 1..

rigidly attached to the axle 11. n11 .arm 219 of the lever 18 extends outwardly and abuts against the axle 11 at certain positions of 'b the device. The lever 18 extends inwardly toward the centerof the vehicle andat'its inner, end is pivotally connected with 'f'a "*1 spring-seat. 22, which scatis free to oscillate about the end of the lever. To. the leaf- 5 spring 14. is fastened a clamp Edwhi'ch is' pivot-ally connected to a spring-seat 2 i This seat 521 is free to oscillate somewhatmr the clamp 23. Between the seats and -24 is a supplementary compression spring 25, 79 adapted to go to :1V solid or noii-yielding The actions of the device ai'easIfollow Fig. 1 shows the various parts when the vo I I hicle is running on a smOOthr ad; The

compression spring 35 is proportioned with the lever 18 to be morere-silicntthanfthe' leaf spring lat. /Vhen'thc road wheclsof the vehicle strike a small obstructionftlie spring yields, allowing the lever 18'to tilt slightly, as shown in Fig. 2. H'ere the leaf spring l-l has been brought nearer mule axlell almost solely by the action of the compression spring 25 and the lever 1S and without much or any ilexing o f the"lc af spring itself. This action absorbs the small rapid shocks that would otherwise-be tralis f mittcd to the frame whcn"the vehicle is driven over rough pavements. This first sensitive action of the parts is obtained, as '90 stated, by the yielding of the'coinpression spring 25,-the tilting of the lever IS andQ consequent lowering of the shucklesupport ing point 17. At this time a slight gap opens between the axle and the arm' 21 of 9 the lever. 18. v lVhcn the road wheels' of the vehicle encounter a large obstruction, the sensitive acting parts 25 and 18 are protected from injury by the closing of the spring 25 and 190 the leaf spring l-l then bends in the man ner usual with leaf springs; The parts then, take the position shown in Fig. 3 iii-which, the frame of the vehicle is brought still nearer to the axle. During this part teale action, the spring 25 does not act exc'opt to where the clamp 23 is attached, results in a still further lowering of the extension 17. At this time the lever 18 is .tilted farther and the gap between the axle and arm 21 is still further opened.

.To sum up the above-described features, the supporting action of the device may be divided into two motions :-first, the initial and sensitive action of the spring 25 to carry light loads easily and absorb the small quick vibrations; and second, themore extended action of the spring '14; to carry heavy loads and to withstand large shocks. In the second part of the motion the action of the leaf spring itself is materially improved by the differential action of the le-' ver 18 and the link formed by 22, 25 and 24. This differential action affords a yielding support at the end of extension 17 for the leaf spring,--this yielding being caused by the flexing of the leaf spring itself at the point where the clamp 23 is attached.

All of the above-described.features relate to the downward action of the parts to sup port the frame onthe axle. Immediately after the road wheels of the vehicle have struck a large obstacle or encountered a sharp rise in the road, the springs tend to react in such amanner as to give the frame of the vehicle an unpleasant toss or rebound. My device prevents an excessive amount of this rebound, by taking the position shown in Fig. 5. Here the frame 13 has been thrown upward away from the axle 11, the lever 18 has taken the same position as in Fig. 1 with its arm 21 in contact with the axle 11. Further upward movement of the lever being prevented, the spring 25 compresses and resists the upward motion of the leaf sprin 14:. When the spring 25 is c'ompressed so id, as shown in Fig. 5, no further upward motion'of the clamp 23 is possible. The upward motion of the frame is not stop ed suddenly, but gradually. This gra ual stoppage is due first to the co'mpression of the spring 25, and secondly, to whatever slight resiliency is left in the leaf spring after the points 21 and 17 become stationary and 25 becomes solid.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 the dotted line X-X represents the center of the vehicle. The construction of the device in connection with the cross leaf springs is such that the compression sprin 25 is located toward the center of the vehicle and away from the wheel 12. This is an advantage as it serves to protect the spring 25 and the seats 22 and 21- with their pivots from road dirt by locating them in a protected position. The mud thrown by the vehicle tires will not clog the working parts when arranged in 7 this manner.

lt will be seen that the lever 18 is extend ed in :1 plane at right angles to the vehicle wheel 12, so as to locate the compression pivotal support with the leaf-spring,

spring 25 as far toward the center of the vehicle as possible and away from the wheel. This puts the compression spring with its seats and 2e and their respective pivots in a protected position away from the dirt thrown by the wheels. The lever 18 being placed above the leaf spring also tends to keep the working parts clean and not clogged by road dirt.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the device, arranged parallel with the length of the vehicle instead of cross-wise. Here 12 is one of the vehicle wheels, 14' the leaf spring, 11' the axle, 22 the clamp, 16' one of the swinging shackles. This shackle is pivoted at its upper end to one end of the leaf spring and at its lower end to the lever 18. The lever is pivotally supported by the bracket 30 which is fastened to the vehicle frame 31. Motion of the lever 18' is limited by the arm 21' which strikes the frame 31. The other end of the lever 18 projects in the same direction as the leaf spring and has the spring-seat 24 pivotally connected to it. The spr1ng-seat 23 is pivotally connected to the clamp 22. The com pression spring 25' extends between these two spring-seats 23' and 2.4:. This form does not obtain the advantage of a protected location of mechanism as allordedby that shown in. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

The difference in construction lies in the fact that the lever is supported by and is also limited by the frame instead of by the ax e.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a vehicle, a support, aleaf spring, a lever pivoted to the support, means to limit the play of the lever on the pivot, means connecting the lever to the end of the leaf. spring, and a supplementary spring con-- nected'at one end to that portion of the vehicle subject to rebound and at the other end to the lever. I

2. In a vehicle, a support, a leaf-spring, a lever pivoted to the support, an extension to limit the play of the lever on the pivot by contact with the support, means connecting the'lcver to the end of the leaf-spring, and a supplementary spring connected with the leaf spring to which the other end of the lever is attached.

3. In a vehicle, an. axle, a leaf-spring, a lever; pivotally supported from the axle, shackles connecting other portions of the lelit non-yielding at predetermined heavy loads,

connecting the end of the lever opposite said lever and auxiliary spring both being oin tlfe same side of the leaf-spring.

4. In a. vehicle, en .axle, a leaf-spring, a. lever pivotally supported from the axle, shackles, connecting the end of the leafspring with the lever intermediate the ends of the letter, a compression spring and a pair of spring seats between which the compression spring is mounted, one of said seats being pivotally secured to an end of said lever and the other seat being pivotally secured to the leaf-spring.

5. In a vehicle, a support, a leaf spring, a lever pivoted to the support, an extension at one end of the lever beyond the pivot to limit the play of the lever on the pivot by contact of the extension with the support, shackles connecting the lever to the end of the leaf spring, and a resilient member between the -other end of the lever and other portions. of

the leaf spring.

6. In a vehicle, a support, a leafspring, a lever pivoted to the support, an extension at one end of the lever limiting its play on the pivot, shackles connecting the lever to the end of the leaf spring, and a compression spring that becomes non-yieldable connected between the other end of the lever and other portion of the leaf spring.

7. In a, vehicle, a support, a leafspring, .a. lever pivoted to the support, means for limiting t e play of the lever on its support, shackles connecting the leaf spring to the lever, supplementary springs connected between the lever and portions of the leaf spring, the supplementary springs becomin rigid in a plurality of positions of the leaf: spring. i

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 21st day of. April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and thirteen.

ROBERT H. HASSLER. [n 5.]

Witnesses:

' J. A2 MiN'rimN,

F. W, WOERNER. 

